Birthday
by eorocks
Summary: It's Elliot's birthday and the crew has a party. Will Olivia and Elliot finally let each other know how they feel? I don't own these characters. Dick Wolf does.
1. Chapter 1

_**OK, I fixed this story because this was my first Fanfic and I messed it up. I didn't intend for this story to go any further, but if people are interested and leave a review, I may keep going. Let me know.**_

_**I don't own these characters of course. Dick Wolf does.**_

**Chapter One**

It was Elliot's birthday, and so far it had been a good day. Olivia had brought him breakfast and coffee this morning we she came in, and Olivia, Munch and Fin had taken him to his favorite spot for lunch. It has been a slow day in the squad with no new calls; just worked on cleaning up some paperwork. But the big celebration was tonight. Since his and Fin's birthday were close together, they decided to have a party and Fin had insisted that the party be at a club. Elliott was less than enthused because he didn't like loud music and didn't like to dance, so he didn't think going to a dance club was a fun idea at all. But the rest of the squad, except maybe for Munch and Cragen, thought it sounded like fun, so he didn't complain. Everyone needed a night out; a chance to blow off some steam. They had all been putting in too many hours over the past couple of months.

Elliot had already asked Olivia if he could pick her up and take her to the club so he wouldn't have to arrive alone, and she had agreed. She had left the station about an hour before, so she could get ready for the party. He was going to leave shortly so he could head home and take a shower and get dressed. When the idea of the party first came up, Elliott had confided in her that he had no idea what to wear to a club, so they had gone shopping the weekend before and bought some new slacks, a nice shirt and some new shoes. At first, he resisted because he didn't really want to spend the money on clothes he would never wear again, but he had to admit that he liked what she picked out. He shut down his computer and headed out the door.

Elliot got to his apartment and jumped in the shower. He thought about the night ahead, and was actually starting to look forward to it. He had been nervous when he asked Olivia to go with him. Not that it was a date, but he was worried she would have asked someone to go with her already and he wouldn't have been able to stand that. He was so in love with Olivia…and he knew she had strong feelings for him too. But he wasn't sure if her feelings went beyond friendship, and was too afraid to find out. They were both too afraid of ruining what they had. All he knew was that the thought of her with someone else killed him. He knew she probably dated other guys; hell, was probably sleeping with them. And even though Olivia shared a lot of her life with Elliot, she kept those details of her personal life from him. As if she knew he couldn't bear to hear about it.

When Elliott was dressed and ready to go, he texted Olivia and told him he was on his way. It was about a ten minute drive from his apartment to hers. He was going to drive there, and then they would take a cab to the club. He assumed they would have too much to drink and didn't want to leave his car at the club. She texted back "not quite ready- let yourself in if I don't answer". He laughed. It had been 2 hours since she had left the squad room. How could she not be ready? Olivia didn't strike him as one of those women that primped for hours; she was pretty no nonsense when it came to stuff like that. Of course, he mused, it probably didn't hurt that she was gorgeous, no matter what! But he did know that she was excited about getting dressed up and going out. They didn't really have much time to do anything like that. Most often, they just grabbed a drink at a bar by the precinct house after work.

When he got to Olivia's apartment, he knocked on the door and wasn't surprised when she didn't answer. He let himself in with the key she had given him for emergency purposes.

"Hi Elliot! I will be out in a minute. Help yourself to a beer! I got your favorite for your birthday!"

Elliot opened up the fridge and grabbed a cold beer. There were glasses on the counter, so he went around the other side of the counter, in the living room area, and sat on one of the barstools. He opened the beer and started pouring it into the glass. As he was pouring, Olivia came out of the bedroom and he nearly dropped the beer. She looked amazing! She was wearing a white and black dress. The black skirt was short, a couple of inches above her knees, and tight, showing off her long legs, curvy hips and small waist. The top was white, with black trim up the sides tying into a halter. The result framed a nice amount of cleavage. Her skin was smooth as silk, and the white and black made her tan skin look amazing. He had never seen her look so sexy.

It took about 30 seconds for all of this to register as she kept walking towards him from the bedroom into the living room. She smiled when she saw his reaction, which made her look even more beautiful. Her smile really lit up the room.

Olivia walked out across the living room and stood next to him at the counter. "Happy Birthday Elliot! I was going to ask if I look OK, and if you like this dress, but I think I have my answer." She smirked. She grabbed his beer and took a sip, leaning up against the counter facing him.

Elliot couldn't stop staring as she stood next to him. "You look amazing Liv." He couldn't take his eyes off her, looking up and down a few times before his eyes connected with hers. She had a bemused look on her face and he blushed.

"Sorry" he mumbled, embarrassed.

"I am glad you like it. I didn't know what to wear. I tried on a couple of different dresses but this is most comfortable for dancing." She gave him an appraising glance. "You look great too. I really like that shirt on you. It makes your eyes look really blue."

Elliot smiled. She had a big smile on her face and a mischievous look in her eyes. Was she flirting with him?

"El, I want to give you your birthday present before we leave." She leaned over, her right breast brushing against his arm, and he felt an involuntary rush of heat to his groin. For a second, Elliot thought she was going to kiss him. But she reached past him and grabbed an envelope that was lying on the counter just behind him. She handed him the envelope. "Open it!" she said excitedly.

Elliot didn't realize he had been holding his breath, so he let it out and took the envelope from her. Olivia gave him a funny look and then laughed. "Don't worry. I don't bite!" she said, still smiling.

Elliot laughed and started opening the envelope. He pulled out two Knicks tickets. "Wow! Knicks tickets! I can never afford to buy these for myself!"

"I know. That's why I got them. They are on the floor. I thought maybe you could take Dick with you."

Elliot smiled. "Maybe I will take you. You like basketball, right?"

Olivia made a face. "I am not crazy about basketball, but it might be fun to go to a game. But you can decide when it gets a little closer. I won't hold you to it." Olivia took another sip of Elliot's beer, still leaning against the counter.

"Liv, thanks. This is the best birthday present I have received in a long time. I really mean that! Usually I get ties and tools and things I need. Nothing fun like this!" Elliot stood up to give Olivia a hug. She stepped a little closer and he put his arms around her and hugged her close. But his hands connected with the bare skin of her back when he wrapped his arms around her and suddenly, he felt uncomfortable. He wanted to run his hands up and down her back and caress her bare skin! It was so silky and smooth. And she smelled wonderful. Her hair. Her perfume. Just the smell of her was making his head spin. The hug lingered and as they pulled back slightly, they were face to face. Olivia smiled back at him, and he couldn't decide if he should kiss her or not. He wanted to. He thought she wanted him to. But then the moment was past and she was pulling away. "We had better get going El. Don't want you to miss your own party. Even though I know you'd like to!"

Elliot picked up the glass and chugged down the remaining beer. Olivia grabbed the bottle and the empty glass and went around the counter and into the kitchen. She put the glass in the sink and set the bottle on the counter and turned around as Elliott came around the counter.

"El, would you mind if I asked you to hold on to a few things for me?" Olivia asked with a sweet smile. "I don't want to bring a purse, and I don't have any pockets." Olivia looked down at her dress, gesturing with her hands.

"You NEVER carry a purse. Why should tonight be any different?" He smiled, looking at her.

Olivia walked back into the bedroom and his eyes followed her. She was absolutely stunning and so damn sexy and he couldn't take his eyes off her. She came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, and handed him her driver's license, lipstick and her cell phone.

"Good thing you travel light" Elliot said has he took the items from her and put them in his pants pocket.

Elliot opened the apartment door. "After you." Olivia walked past him and out of the apartment and then turned to lock the door as Elliot came out. Then she handed him her keys. "You can hold on to these too. That way, you'll have to come home with me tonight." She shot him another mischievous look and his stomach dropped. She started walking to the elevator, swaying her hips in an exaggerated way. She WAS flirting with him. He smiled. He didn't know what was going on, but Olivia was in a playful mood. Maybe it was intentional, or maybe it was just the idea of having a night out, but he could tell that it was going to be a fun night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

They caught a cab a block away from Olivia's apartment. As they climbed in the cab, Olivia settled herself on the seat as Elliot climbed in beside her. Elliott gave the cabbie the name and address of the club and the cab took off.

Elliot couldn't help but look at Olivia's legs as he sat beside her. Her dress had ridden up when she sat down and was barely down to her mid-thigh and it was driving him crazy. He wanted to reach his hand out and place it on her thigh. He wanted to do it so badly that he thought perhaps he wouldn't be able to stop himself from actually doing it. But then Olivia elbowed him and it broke his bold stare.

"Stabler! Are you looking at my legs?" Olivia chided with a smile on her face.

"What? No."

"You're not a very good liar." She laughed. Elliot couldn't believe she let him off that lightly. She was definitely flirting with him. Or was he reading into the situation? God, it was so frustrating sometimes!

A few minutes later, they arrived at the club. When they walked into the club, the music was loud and the place was packed. They stood by the door and scanned the bar looking for the rest of the group. The bar was off to the left and the dance floor was beyond that. To the right were a bunch of high top tables, crowded with people. Elliot finally saw Fin and a few others around some of the tables in the middle of the crowd. As they walked up, Olivia saw Munch and Chester Lake standing by Fin and his girlfriend, Cherie. Elliott saw some other people in the group he didn't know; maybe some friends of Fin's. They were talking to the Captain.

Olivia and Elliot came up behind Fin, and Olivia tapped him on the shoulder. "Happy Birthday Fin!"

"O-LIV-I-A…Wow! Baby girl-you look amazing!" Fin said as he twirled Olivia around. "You are going to have to fight the guys off tonight. Watch yourself!"

"I think you exaggerate Fin. But you know I can take care of myself!" Olivia laughed.

"Happy Birthday Elliot" said Munch and Lake together.

"Yeah. Happy Birthday Elliot." said Fin.

"Can I pour you guys a beer? Or do you want something else to drink Olivia? " asked Munch. "I would be happy to get you something else."

"Beer is fine." Elliott and Olivia said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Birthday boy first!" Olivia said.

The guys that were talking to the Captain walked over towards Elliot and Olivia. Fin turned and introduced his friends to the two detectives.

"Pete and Dwayne, meet Elliot and Olivia" Fin said.

Olivia smiled. "It's great to meet you guys. Thanks for setting up this party. It's going to be fun and we all need a night out."

Just then Alex walked up. "Olivia! Elliot!" She gave Olivia a big hug, and then Elliot. "Happy Birthday Elliot!"

"Alex. You look terrific!" said Elliot. And she did. She had on a short red dress that fit her perfectly and complemented her coloring.

"Fin! You have been holding out man. What the hell? You are surrounded by all these beautiful women and we don't hear a peep about it? You selfish bastard!" said Pete.

"What can I say? " laughed Fin.

"And besides" said Elliot, "this isn't exactly what they wear on the job every day." Elliot paused, realizing what he said. " I mean, they look beautiful every day, but not like..this. I mean.." Elliot stumbled over his words.

"Just stop El". Olivia laughed. "You are only digging yourself into a deeper hole."

"Enough talking. Time for some shots!" yelled Pete. They pulled the two large tables together and everyone finished the introductions as a few more people showed up. The waitress showed up with some Tequila shots, and everyone downed one except Cragen.

The waitress kept the table supplied with pitchers of beer and shots and everyone was having a great time. More friends of Fin's came, and some more people from the squad. Everyone moved around and was talking to everyone else, the music was playing and they were having a great time. Elliot kept his eyes on Olivia, making sure no one was getting too "friendly" with her. She was starting to get drunk, and when she was drunk, she let loose. Elliot hadn't seen her get really drunk too often, but with the mood everyone was in tonight…

Right now, she was talking to Pete and Fin and Cherie. She was laughing at something Fin was saying. He just couldn't stop staring at her. She was so animated compared to the serious side he saw every day in the squadroom. Her smile really did light up her whole face.

Munch elbowed him. "Why don't you ask Olivia to dance?"

"I don't dance. Especially to music like this. Does anyone really dance to this?"

"Well, have you looked out at the dance floor? It's packed."

Elliot looked out at the dance floor, and all of the people bumping and grinding together. "That is not like any kind of dancing I've seen." Said Elliot. "But the last dance I went to was my senior prom at my Catholic High School. I am out of my league here."

Elliot turned back around and caught Olivia looking at him. When she caught his eye, she smiled and raised her glass. He raised his glass in return. She started to walk over towards him. As she skirted the crowd around the tables, a man grabbed her lightly by the arm. She turned to see who has stopped her and flashed a smile at him. They chatted for a minute and then she turned back and continued making her way over to Elliot.

"What was that about?" said Elliot when she reached him.

"Oh, nothing. He just asked me if I wanted to dance."

"Oh. And?" Elliot asked.

"It's OK. I'd rather hang out with you, get you drunk, and get **you** out on that dance floor!"

"That's NEVER going to happen. At least the dancing part. But you can get me drunk". Elliot put his arm around her shoulders and they moved back towards the table. He dropped his arm, took the pitcher and topped off each of their beers.

"I had better slow down or I am going to be passed out by midnight!" said Olivia. But she picked up her beer and took a long drink anyway.

Munch and Lake were sitting at the table, along with the Captain. They were arguing about sports. Elliot joined in the conversation and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Can't we ever talk about anything besides sports? Who cares?" Olivia complained.

The guys laughed. "What would YOU like to talk about Liv?" said the Captain.

"I don't care, but anything but sports." She said.

"Politics? Religion? I can talk about any of those things." Said Munch.

"Argh. I am going back to hang out with Alex and Fin. You guys are boring me!" Olivia picked up her beer and walked back over to where Alex and Melinda were talking to the rest of the group.

Elliot didn't want to see her go, but didn't want to follow her over like a puppy dog, so he let her go. Besides, he got a nice view watching her walk away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Elliot kept talking to the guys, but kept glancing over to watch Olivia over at the other table. He saw Olivia take another shot with Alex. Then a new song started pumping out of the sound system. Olivia and Alex grabbed hands, raised them up in the air, let out a yell and started dancing their way to the dance floor.

"Uh Oh" said Munch. "That's going to be trouble!"

Olivia and Alex worked their way through the crowd and made it to the dance floor. Their dance through the crowd did not go unnoticed by several men in the crowd, who looked them up and down as they passed by. Alex and Olivia made it to the dance floor, released their hands and started dancing to the music.

Elliot just watched as Alex and Olivia let loose. Olivia was smiling and laughing, gyrating to the music. Elliot smiled. Olivia looked so damn carefree, and so unbelievably sexy. But before he could even finish that thought, two guys joined the dance party, one pairing up with Olivia and one with Alex. Alex and Olivia didn't miss a beat, grabbing onto the shoulders of their new dance partners and continuing to move with the music. As the song went on, their bodies got closer and closer. Elliot was fuming as he watched Olivia's new dance partner put his hands on her waist, then move them down lower on her hips. As they danced, Olivia threw her head back and the mystery man pulled her closer, moving his hands down over her ass and kissing her on the shoulder and neck. Olivia laughed and pushed him back, but their bodies never lost contact as they continued to grind against each other to the beat of the music.

"What the hell?" said Elliot. "What the hell does that guy think he's doing?"

"Calm down Elliott. They are just dancing." said Munch, laying a hand on Elliot's shoulder. "Liv is just blowing off some steam and having some fun."

'They are practically having sex on the dance floor!" said Elliot, outrage on his face, pushing Munch's hand off his shoulder.

"Knock it off Elliot. Just let her be. Olivia knows her limits, and she doesn't need you hovering over her. She's a big girl." said Munch.

Elliot turned back to look at Munch. "She's drunk, and it's my job to look out for her."

Just then, the song was over and Elliot looked back at the dance floor. Olivia and Alex were making their way back to the table. However, before Olivia could leave the dance floor, the guy she had been dancing with grabbed her arm. She turned around to talk to him as he tried to drag her back on to the dance floor. Elliot watched the interaction, ready to go to the rescue if he didn't let her go. But whatever she said must have worked because he let her arm go and she and Alex walked back to the table.

Both she and Alex were slightly out of breath, panting slightly.

"God, it's hot out there! I need something to drink!" Olivia said. She grabbed Elliot's beer and took a long drink.

Elliot had an angry look on his face. "What was that?" he asked, looking at Olivia as she set the glass down.

"What was what?" asked Olivia, genuinely confused.

"Out on the dance floor. With that guy." Said Elliot.

"What? We were dancing. "

"That guy had his hands all over you! You were practically having sex." Said Elliot accusingly.

Olivia rolled her eyes at Elliot. "For God's sake Elliot. That's how people dance. We were just having fun and I pushed him off me when he got to friendly."

"Didn't look like you were fighting him off to me" pouted Elliot.

Olivia breathed a heavy sigh. Elliot could be so overprotective all the time, and it really got on her nerves sometimes. But she could also appreciate that if she saw Elliot dancing with some strange woman like that, she wouldn't be too happy either. She really loved Elliot; not that he knew that. She didn't really know how he felt, but knowing how jealous he got all of them time, she felt like there was a maybe he loved her a little too. She knew she had been flirting with Elliot tonight, but really, she wasn't sure what she wanted to happen. I guess she just wanted to see what WOULD happen, since it was obvious that he wasn't going to be the one to make a move. Their relationship was complicated, and they had danced around it for years. But now that he was divorced, she had kind of expected something to change. And if he wasn't going to push the boundaries a little; well, she had decided tonight might be the night to take a step over the line they had so carefully drawn.

Olivia wedged her body between Elliot and the table, facing him. Elliot had been sitting on a barstool, so Olivia positioned her body between his knees. She smiled at him seductively and reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's your birthday, so I am not going to argue with you. For the rest of the night, I promise I won't dance with anyone else. I will stay right here, with you." She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Will that make you happy?" She leaned back and looked into his eyes.

Elliot just looked at her; he was trying to control his body after the intimate contact from Olivia. They didn't touch like this, and now here she was, with her body wedged between his knees and her hand on his shoulder. When she whispered in his ear, he could feel himself start to get aroused, and he was focused on trying to stop his body from reacting. He wanted to grab her around the waist, pull her close and kiss her. But Munch, Alex and Cragen were still at the table, witnessing the interaction between the two. Elliot had to get control of the situation. He meant to make some kind of smartass comment, but all reason seemed to have abandoned him.

"Yes." He said softly, letting his breath out slowly. He heard Fin yelling something about shots, and the rest of the crew was headed over towards their table. Thankfully, Munch's , Alex's and Cragen's attention shifted to Fin. He tried to focus on what Fin was saying, but he couldn't. Olivia had turned around looking towards Fin and the rest of the people moving towards them, but still kept her body between his knees. Her bare back was facing him now, and her ass was wedged between his knees. It was all he could do to keep from reaching up and running his hands over the skin on her back and down over her hips. This was torture. And the funny thing was, he knew that she knew it too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

They had everyone crowded around the high top tables. It was Fin and Cherie, Alex, Casey, Chester, Munch, Cragen, Pete and Dwayne. A few more of Fin's friends had shown up, along with Melinda, Huang, and few of the guys from the TARU. Everyone was drinking and laughing and having a good time, including Elliot. Olivia had moved over and was talking to Melinda and Casey, but she kept sneaking peeks over at Elliot. Every time she did, Elliot caught her eye and smiled, and she smiled back. He could tell she was pretty drunk at this point, but he had to admit that he was as well.

He heard the music start to quiet down a little, and a slow song started to play. Elliot looked over at Olivia and wondered if he should ask her to dance. He wanted to, but he also knew that if he got that close to her again, he may not be able to stop himself from kissing her. At that moment, Casey leaned over and whispered something into Olivia's ear, and she smiled and looked over at him. She dipped her head down slightly, looking at him through her long lashes. His heart stopped. The look she gave him was something he couldn't identify, and not a look that he had ever seen from her before. He gave her a small nod and she started walking over towards him. He took the beer out of her hand, set it on the table, and took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor.

When they got to the dance floor, he pulled Olivia close. Her arms snaked around his neck and he put his hands around her waist. They started moving to the music, barely moving on the dance floor. Elliot looked down at Olivia, but she had her eyes closed.

"Liv. Open your eyes." Elliot whispered.

Olivia's eyes fluttered open and looked into his. He saw tears brimming on her eyelashes as she looked at him.

"Liv. What's wrong?" said Elliot, alarmed.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This is perfect." She said, laying her head on his chest.

Elliot pulled her even closer, splaying his hands across the bare skin of her back. He took a deep breath, and focused on the music and the feel of Olivia in his arms. He knew they shouldn't be dancing like this; that he shouldn't be holding her like this. Especially in front of everyone in the squad. But he was lost in the feeling of having her in his arms and he couldn't think clearly. And she was letting him hold her, so clearly she wasn't worried. Of course, he knew she was a little drunk (maybe a lot?), and he was too. But so was everyone else from the squad. Maybe all rules went out the door; even if just for tonight?

He reached one hand up to stroke her shoulder. His hand went underneath the strap of her dress, caressing the skin there. He leaned over and placed a light kiss on her shoulder, feeling a jolt from her as he did so. He kept placing small kisses along her shoulder, eliciting a small moan from Olivia. The sound of her moan, low and husky, made him breathless. He kept running his hands over her bare back and then dipped a little lower, so they rested on her hips. He pulled her hips slightly toward him, and she pushed into him gently, grinding against him slightly. She swayed her hips back and forth a little, applying maddening pressure against him. He could feel himself getting hard beneath her, but was powerless to stop it. He raised his lips up to her neck and started kissing her there. Her head dropped back a little, giving him better access. As he kissed her right beneath her ear, he was rewarded with another low moan. She started moving her hands up his back, running them up and down. They were both lost in the feeling of each other's bodies, swaying slowly on the dance floor. Suddenly, Elliot heard someone say "Get a room."

He jolted his eyes open, looked over and saw Casey and Pete dancing next to them. Casey had a smirk on her face. Then she and Pete danced away from them.

"Liv." Elliot said gently. She opened her eyes. She, apparently, had not heard Casey's comment. "Liv-we can't do this here. People are watching."

Olivia looked confused and Elliot realized how drunk she really was. He felt like an idiot; like he had taken advantage of the situation.

"What?" said Olivia with a smirk on her face. "We're just dancing."

"Liv. Everyone from our squad just saw us with our hands all over each other." He stopped and pulled back from her. " You don't think they've noticed? I think it's time to go." Elliot took her hand and started to walk back over to the table.

Olivia looked at Elliot. "I don't want to go home yet. It's your birthday and the party's not over yet. I want to stay, and keep dancing." She moved back towards Elliot and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up at him through her eyelashes. "You don't like dancing with me?"

"Liv-I would love to keep dancing with you, but we can't…not here…in front of everyone. Everyone will already be talking." Elliot took her arm and started to steer her back towards the tables. Olivia was stumbling a little on her high heels, so Elliot supported her with his arm on hers. When they got there, Munch started to say something, but Elliot cut him off with a dark look. Munch shut his mouth.

"I am going to take Liv home." said Elliot. Munch started to say something again, but Elliot gave him another look. "That's not what I mean. I am going to make sure she gets home safely before I go home." Elliot didn't need to add to the rumors already going around the precinct. He knew a lot of people thought they were already sleeping together and he didn't want to make the situation any worse. Especially since everyone could see how drunk Olivia was.

She started to disentangle herself from Elliot's arm and leaned on the table. "Let's have another drink!"

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Liv. You've had enough to drink. We're going."

Olivia shot him a dark look. "I am not ready to go yet Elliot. If you want to go, go ahead."

Elliot sighed. He sensed Olivia upset that he had stopped dancing with her. But honestly, what was he supposed to do? He couldn't keep dancing with her; that was only going to lead to trouble. In his current state, he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself for much longer. What he really wanted to do was pull her out of the club, get back to her place, and finish what they started on the dance floor. He sighed again heavily. He had to get himself under control. He was drunk but she was worse off than him. Despite all of her flirting and willingness to participate, he had to be the responsible one here. He didn't want any regrets between them.

"Liv" he said firmly. "You said you weren't going to fight with me on my birthday. Say goodbye. We're going."

At that moment, Casey and Pete walked off the dance floor and over to where Olivia was standing with Elliot and Munch and a few others. Casey noticed the tension between Elliot and Olivia and raised an eyebrow at Munch as if to say "What's going on NOW?"

Munch shrugged his shoulders. He knew better than to get in the middle of a 'conversation' between the two hot-headed detectives.

"Casey" said Olivia. "Come with me to the bathroom. I have to pee. "

Olivia shot Elliot a dirty look. "Do I have permission to go to the bathroom?"

Elliot shook his head. "You know what? You do whatever the hell you want to do. I know you will anyway." Elliot grabbed a beer off the table, and walked over to where Fin and the rest of the crew was standing around. Munch and Pete followed him over, leaving Casey and Olivia alone at the table.

"I swear to God" said Casey. "Five minutes ago you guys had your hands all over each other on the dance floor, and now you're fighting. It always amazes me at how quickly things escalate between you two." She leaned over to whisper in Olivia's ear. "I think you guys just need to have sex and get it over with! All this should we or shouldn't we is driving both of you crazy!"

Olivia sat down hard on the barstool. Suddenly, she was so tired. Tears started to brim in her eyes, and she tried to hold them back.

Casey came and put an arm around her. "I'm sorry Liv. I didn't mean to make you cry!"

"Case-I just don't know what to do anymore. Elliot and I have this carefully drawn out relationship. We have all of these boundaries we put in place over the past 8 years. And now, he's divorced, and I thought this was my chance. But nothing has changed over the past couple of months. So tonight, I thought I would take a little initiative. I wore this stupid dress, I was flirting, and he was flirting back. And then on the dance floor…I mean, I could tell he wanted me. And God, I want him. But then he stopped. And he seems mad. I am so confused."

Casey was in shock. She couldn't remember a time that she had seen Olivia cry like this. She put on a strong front day and day out, despite all the victims. She broke down every once in a while, but never over something personal. She wasn't quite sure how to comfort her friend.

"Liv." Casey started. "Elliot loves you. You know he does. Everyone knows he does. And everyone knows you love him too. I think there are just a lot of mixed signals…and alcohol doesn't help. Maybe you guys need to have a conversation. A real conversation without all of this chaos going on around you."

Olivia swiped at her eyes. "I'm done Casey. I think I was pretty clear about how I felt, and he backed away." She looked up and at that moment, Elliot looked over. He saw she was crying and a look of concern crossed his face. He started to move in her direction, but she saw him and got up from the stool.

"Casey, I am going to the bathroom." She moved away from the table towards the bathrooms, leaving Casey at the table.

Elliot came up to Casey as Olivia made her way across the room.

"Casey. Is Olivia all right? Why is she crying?" Elliot asked.

Casey turned to Elliot. "You are such a damn idiot." She said in a disgusted tone and walked away towards their group of friends at the next table.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five **

Olivia walked into the bathroom and walked up to the mirror. She leaned over, bracing herself on the counter. She was having trouble balancing on her shoes, and stepped out of them. Standing in her bare feet, she looked at herself in the mirror. She grabbed a paper towel and wiped the few remaining tears from under her eyes.

"What the hell am I crying about?" She thought to herself. "Get a grip. Did you really think this was going to work out? He's been divorced for months; he has had plenty of opportunities to make his move. Did I honestly think I could put on a sexy dress, smile and flirt, and he would fall into my arms? God, I am such an idiot. All these years…I thought he felt something for me. I thought we had something. That if only he wasn't married. Well, he's not married now, and he doesn't want you." She rocked back and forth from the vanity, trying not to completely lose it. "I have to get out of here."

With that thought, she grabbed her shoes, and made her way to the bathroom door. She looked outside the bathroom, and didn't see anyone she knew. She took a left out of the bathroom, in the opposite direction she had come from. She made her way to the front door, and stepped out into the cool night air.

The bouncer standing outside the door looked at her. "Are you OK?" he asked.

"I need a cab." Olivia said. She was teetering, even in her bare feet. She didn't think she had that much to drink, but it was all starting to catch up with her. The beers, the shots, the arguments, the emotion. She wanted nothing more than to get back to her apartment and lock herself in and crawl into bed.

The bouncer hailed a cab for her. "Are you sure you're OK? Do you know where you're going?" he asked with concern.

"I am an NYPD detective. I can take care of myself." Olivia snapped. She climbed into the cab and the bouncer shut the door behind her. She gave the cabbie her address and leaned back into the seat. She was so exhausted; just spent. "What time is it?" she asked the cab driver.

"It's 11:30" he said.

Olivia couldn't believe it. It seemed like it was 3AM. She let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. "Don't fall asleep." She told herself. "Not a good idea to fall asleep in the cab." The next thing she knew, the cab driver was shaking her awake. Olivia startled, looking around to get her bearings.

"Sorry." She started to climb out of the cab, but the cabdriver grabbed her arm.

"Hey. It's $22.50" he said.

Olivia stopped. "Shit!" she thought to herself. "I don't have any money. I don't have my keys. Or my phone. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it."

"Um. Listen." She said to the cabdriver. "I left the bar without my purse. I don't have any money with me. I am an NYPD Detective. If you please, just let me go, I swear I will reach you tomorrow and pay you. Please. I have had a really rough night and I just need to go home. I can give you my badge number and my phone number. Please." She was tearing up again. She did NOT want to have to call Elliot or anyone else to come rescue her.

The cabdriver looked at her, eyeing her up and down. "Maybe we can work something out." He said.

Olivia looked stricken. "What? What did you just say? Did you not hear me say that I am an NYPD detective? Have you lost your mind?"

"You don't look like a cop…" the cabdriver moved towards her, grabbing her by the arm.

At that moment, a man came out of Olivia's apartment building. Olivia recognized him as an accountant that lived on her floor. She had talked to him once or twice in the past couple of months. He saw Olivia and the cabbie standing there. "Detective Benson, are you OK?" He walked over towards her.

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. She was in no condition to deal with this cabbie. "John! I'm sorry, but I need some help. I just left a party and forgot my purse and now I can't pay this fare. Can I borrow $25 from you? Please?"

"Sure. No problem." He gave the cabdriver a dirty look and the cabbie stepped back, releasing Olivia's arm. He gave the cabbie his money, and the cabdriver got in the cab and drove off.

Olivia sagged against her neighbor. "Thank you."

John looked at Olivia. "Hey, are you OK? You seem…"

"I'm fine. Can you just open the front door for me? I'm freezing and just want to get inside."

"Sure" he said, letting her lean on him as they walked to the front door. "Where are your shoes?"

Olivia looked down. "Damn it! I left them in the cab." What else could happen to her tonight?

John opened the front door and Olivia stepped into the foyer of her apartment building. He looked at her, swaying slight. "Are you sure you're OK? Do you want me to walk you upstairs?"

"No. No. I'm fine. Really. Thanks so much. I will pay you back tomorrow." She smiled at him. "I really appreciate it." She started towards the stairs, waving an arm at him. He turned and left. Olivia slowly made her way up the stairs until she got to the 4th floor. She wasn't sure what she was going to do once she got to her apartment, since she didn't have her keys. Why had she given all of her stuff to Elliot? Damn it. But she knew why. She was hoping for a very different ending to this evening. She started to tear up again. Damn Elliot.

When Olivia reached her apartment door, she tried opening it, hoping she had forgotten to lock it. She knew that wasn't likely but she didn't know what else to do. She slumped down to the floor, with her back against the door. "Damn it" she said to herself for the twentieth time that night.

Meanwhile back at the bar…

Casey had rejoined the group, but avoided Elliot. She started talking to Melinda and Alex.

"Where's Olivia?" asked Alex, noticing Elliot standing off talking to some of the guys. "Elliot's usually hovering over her, especially when she's been drinking."

"She went to the bathroom. Those two are fighting. Again." Casey said, rolling her eyes. "I told her they should just have sex and get it over with."

"You're telling me they haven't?" said Alex. " I find that hard to believe after all of these years."

"Well, according to Olivia, they haven't. And you don't think that Liv would never have had an affair with Elliot while he was married. No way." Said Casey. "I believe her."

At that moment, Elliot walked up and they fell silent, guilty looks on their faces. Elliot figured they had been talking about him.

"Casey. Where's Liv?"

"She went to the bathroom Elliot. She'll be back."

"Well, she's been gone a long time. Can you check on her?" asked Elliot.

"Elliot…quit smothering her. She's upset and just needs some space. She'll come out when she's ready." said Casey.

"Casey. Please. She's really drunk. I want to make sure she's not sick or passed out. I won't talk to her. I just want to make sure she's ok."

Casey sighed. "Fine. Alex, come with me."

Casey and Alex walked to the bathroom, and pushed open the door. "Olivia?" called Casey. "Where are you?"

There were lots of women in the bathroom, so Casey and Alex pushed their way through the crowd, calling for their friend. They waited as women came and went out of the stalls, but there was no Olivia.

"We must have missed her." Said Alex. They walked out and back over to the crowd. They looked around their crowd of friends, but didn't see Olivia. As they walked up, Elliot came over. "Did you find her? Is she OK?" he asked.

"Elliot. She wasn't in the bathroom. Did she come back here?"

"No. I haven't seen her." Elliot was starting to get worried. He walked over to Fin and Munch.

"Hey guys. Have you seen Liv? She isn't in the bathroom, but I haven't seen her come back. Help me look around the bar and find her."

They circled around the bar, looking on the dance floor, and the bar and in every dark corner. Olivia was nowhere to be found. They met back at the table.

"Where the hell is she?" asked Elliot. He was getting worried. "She's not here! Where the hell did she go? She doesn't have her keys or her phone. She doesn't have any money. And she had too much to drink." Elliot pounded on the table in frustration. "I should never have let her out of my sight."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

After that, everyone sobered up pretty quickly. "Where could she have gone?" asked Elliot. "She couldn't have gone home without any money or keys."

"I'll check to see if she's outside" said Fin, moving towards the front door of the club.

Elliot pulled out his phone, and called Olivia's apartment number. The phone rang and rang, and then went to voicemail. "Liv! Liv! Answer the phone!" Elliot yelled into the phone. "Where the hell are you? Call me back the minute you get this. I know you're mad at me, but I just need to know you made it home safely."

Fin came back to the table. "The bouncer said he helped a woman get a cab about 20 minutes ago. Does anyone have a picture of her that I can show to the bouncer so I can be sure it was her?"

Elliot pulled out his phone and pulled up a photo of the two of them with Munch and Fin, taken a few months back. He ran towards the entrance, with Fin right alongside him. "Hey. Is this the woman that got in the cab?" He showed the photo to the bouncer.

"Yeah. That looks like her."

"What time was that?" Elliot asked. "Was she OK?"

"I don't know. Maybe half an hour ago." Said the bouncer. "She was drunk but she said she could handle herself. Told me she was a cop. So hey, I'm gonna argue?"

Elliot turned to Fin. "Where would she have gone? What was she thinking?" Elliot was shaking his head. "She had to have gone home. But she didn't have any keys. I am going to go to her place and see if she's there. I have a key to her apartment."

"OK, we'll stay here in case she shows up. We'll ask around; talk to some of the people here to see if anyone else saw her. Call me when you find her."

Elliot grabbed a cab and gave him Liv's address. The cab stopped in front of Olivia's apartment, Elliot paid him and he ran up to the door. He let himself in, and ran up the stairs, two at a time. He got to Olivia's door and knocked. "Liv! Open up! I know you're in there!" Elliot pounded on the door again, knowing that she could have passed out. "Liv! If you don't open up this door, I am coming in."

"Excuse me." Elliot heard a voice behind him. "Are you looking for Olivia?"

Elliot spun around, and saw the older woman that lived across the hall from Olivia. "Yes! Have you seen her?"

The woman opened her door and motioned for Elliot to come in. "She's here." Elliot followed her into the apartment and saw Olivia sprawled out on the couch, a blanket covering her as she slept.

"What happened?" questioned Elliot.

"She was sitting on the floor outside her apartment. She was crying. I heard her… I don't sleep to well anymore." She said. "So I asked her what was wrong and she said she was locked out and couldn't get her keys until morning. I could tell she had been drinking so I told her to come in and lay down. She didn't put up a fight. She fell asleep as soon as she laid down."

"Thank you. I was so worried about her." Said Elliot. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Fin. Found her. Let others know. Then he knelt down beside Olivia and stroked her arm. "Liv honey. Wake up." Olivia didn't stir.

Elliot turned to the woman. "I have a key to Olivia's apartment. I am going to take her home and put her to bed. Can you open the door for me?" He handed her the keys.

Elliot gently lifted Olivia off the couch. He carried her out of the apartment, and across the hall to her apartment. He looked over at the woman. "Thank you" he said. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." Elliot closed the door with his foot, and carried Olivia into her bedroom. He laid her down on the bed. He pulled the covers down from under her and covered her up. Olivia moaned slightly, but didn't wake up.

Elliot sat down on the bed next to her. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Then he took her left hand in his.

"Liv." He whispered. "I was so worried about you. What were you thinking? Leaving the bar by yourself, drunk, without any money or your phone. Who knows what could have happened? All the horrible things we see every day…" Elliot rubbed her hand gently with his thumb. "I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you. I love you."

Elliot heard a knock on the apartment door. He stood up, gently placing Olivia's arm back on the bed. He looked through the peephole and saw Fin standing there. He opened the door and let him in.

"Is she OK? Where is she?" asked Fin.

"She's passed out in her room. She looks fine. But I don't really know what happened between the time she left the bar and she got here." Fin walked into the bedroom and saw Olivia lying in her bed.

"Do you think we should try and wake her? Make sure she's OK?" Fin asked. "I mean, if she's passed out, can we be sure nothing happened to her?"

Elliot moved back over to the bed and looked down at Olivia. "I don't know if we can wake her up. She's out."

"OK. Let her be. We can talk to her tomorrow I guess. Are you going to stay here tonight?" asked Fin.

"Yeah. I think I'll crash on the couch. Thanks for stopping in Fin." Elliot shut the door behind Fin. He went to the closet and pulled out a blanket and pillow. He stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers, peeked in on Olivia one more time, and crashed on the couch.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Olivia opened her eyes slowly. There was a dim light shining through the blinds in her room. God, her head hurt. She slowly rolled over and looked at the clock. It was 6AM; way too early. She pulled back the covers, and saw she was still wearing her dress. She tried to think back to the previous night, and tried to remember how she got home. The last thing she remembered was fighting with Elliot and going to the bathroom.

She needed water and aspirin. She pulled the covers all the way back and swung her feet out of bed. She slowly sat up, holding her head. She looked down and saw her feet were dirty. "What the hell?" she thought to herself. She went into the bathroom, unzipping her dress and letting it drop. She went to the bathroom, and washed her hands. She splashed cold water on her face and grabbed some aspirin out of the medicine cabinet. She dry swallowed the aspirin and walked out of the bathroom. She walked through her bedroom and out towards the kitchen to get some water.

"Liv." Elliot said softly.

Olivia let out a small scream, and jumped at the voice. She turned and saw Elliot sit up on the couch. "Jesus El. You scared me." She said as she turned towards him. Elliot stood up, and walked over towards her, carrying the blanket from the couch. It was then that Olivia realized she was standing there in her bra and underwear. Elliot wrapped the blanket around her, and led her over to the couch. Then he went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, bringing it back into the living room and handing it to Olivia.

"Liv." Elliot started. "Are you OK?"

"I have a raging headache."

"No. I mean. Are you OK? How did you get home? I found you passed out at your neighbors? I was worried sick about you. You know better than to leave a bar, by yourself, when you're drunk. You.."

"Elliot. Stop. Please. I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

"Really? What happened to your shoes? How did you get here? Did you get a ride home from someone? Take a cab? How did you pay for it?"

With that, Olivia took in a sharp breath, remembering the incident with the cab driver. "OK. I get it. Please, I can't take a lecture right now. Nothing happened. I took a cab. My neighbor paid him and let me into the building. I left my shoes in the cab on accident. End of story." She looked away from Elliot as she said it, and Elliot caught it.

"Liv." Elliot reached out and took Olivia's hands in his. "Look at me."

Olivia looked up at Elliot.

"Liv. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you last night. And I don't want to fight with you now. I am just glad you're OK."

"El…" Olivia interrupted.

"Let me finish. Olivia, I was really looking forward to going to the party with you last night. You looked amazing in that dress, and I was happy with the attention you paying to me. All eyes were on you when we walked into that bar, and you were with me. I mean, I know you weren't WITH me, but we walked in together and I felt…I don't know. And then we were dancing and it was everything I wanted. But then I realized everyone was watching. And I felt like what should have been private between us was happening in front of everyone else. It's not that I didn't want you. God, I wanted you so much. I just didn't want you..us… to be the subject of more rumors. I know I get really overprotective but it's only because…because. Liv, I love you. I am _in_ love with you."

"Elliot" Liv said softly.

"Olivia…I am in idiot. I have been in love with you for so long, and I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner. Please tell me you feel the same way. I think you do, but I need to hear it from you."

Olivia pulled her hands out of Elliot's, looking down at her hands resting in her lap. Her emotions were all over the place. She couldn't believe what Elliot had just said to her. The words she had been waiting to hear for so long. All the times she had let her imagination think about this moment, she didn't imagine it would happen like this. But the way her life went, she shouldn't have expected it to be any different.

She looked up at Elliot and saw him staring back at her with such intensity.

"El. I…" Olivia took a deep breath. "I love you too." She whispered.

Elliot let out the breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. He reached up and stroked her cheek. He pulled her towards him, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Olivia leaned in closer, kissing him back. Elliot pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Liv, I love you and I am never going to let you go. You're the best birthday present I could ever ask for."


End file.
